Best Congratulatory Post-Birth Gift b/w Ventura and Hollywood

I have the distinct pleasure of congratulating some family in hollywood on the birth of their first child. ill be driving down from santa barbara tomorrow morning to see them, and wanted to solicit ideas about something chowish to bring them.

they've probably already received about a metric ton of sweets, so while i am tempted by a big box of cupcakes, i was hoping to possibly take things kinda on the savory side, but this is further complicated by the fact that the new mom is a pescatarian.

so, you of the LA chowhound boards. if you were driving the 101 between ventura/sb and hollywood, where would you stop off for some munchies for very happy and extremely tired new parents? (there are already quite a few people around, so while their needs are being tended to, there are also plenty of helpers' mouths to feed)

I bet Mom would really dig, instead of sweets, full meals she doesn't have to prepare while trying to take care of a newborn!

How about a huge whomping gift certificate to some good local place that delivers or Dad can run in for pick up, like Angeli Caffe for pizza or Italian (service is slipping, but delivery should be OK), or some place like that? These gift certificates or card have no expiration (in California, that's illegal) and will be around when all the "help" disappears!

A great idea, for sure, but not really what i am looking for - perhaps my comment about the other helpers mouthes to feed was misleading. there are grandparents who are better prepared geographically and financially to do what you suggest, Diana, i was mostly looking for something tasty and "special" in a treat kind of way, and not a solution to their tired-need-food-ness.

You see, the thing is, a LOT of people are going to brign them munchy treats right now. then,a fter a while, all the well wishers sort of disappear, and then the stress for mom and Dad get worse. Trust me, they will be even MORE tired and in need of support later on. This is why a selection of gift cards for pre-made food from nice places would be really appreciated.

All the helpers have left save Grandma, who needs a break. Kiddo's not sleeping through the night. Mom is exhausted, Dad is tired after going back to work and coming home to tired mom and new kiddo...they'll need it so much more then, and you could be their savior! That will be more special than yet another addition to the pile of one-time treats that is collecting now.

Another good thing to offer would be free baby sitting for a few nights, say, in a few months or so. That way, they can escape for a night, just the two of them!

Having two little ones, I have to agree w/ Diana. I'm sure a gift card or two for somewhere with take-out would be very welcome. And babysitting would be a super-bonus. Even if it's only for a few hours, the couple would probably appreciate sitting down for a little peace and quiet together. But little babies are actually very easy to take out, they sleep all the time anyway.

For a friend who recently had a baby we made a schedule and one person brought the new family dinner each night. If you have any other friends contact info. they may really enjoy it. And those delivering the meals get to see the baby. I alweays bring enchiladas, since they can eat them now or freeze them for later.

When I had a baby, someone sent us a cookie bouquet from Cookies by Design. The cookies were really cute -- one of them had the baby's name and another had his date of birth and another had his weight and then there were a few others. The cookies were fresh and tasty. Maybe you could order one and take it with you. It was a really nice gift. It's funny, but we really didn't receive that many sweets. Lots of flowers, but not many sweets.

A few bottles of wine and some nice cheeses. Things she hasn't been able to really indulge in for nine months. Someone kind brought that to me in the hospital (St. Johns) and I nearly wept with gratitude.

Now a good basket of really nice cheeses is a fabulous idea! Off the 101 in Studio city on Ventura Blvd, you can stop at Artisan Cheese Gallery and get Melody and CO to put together a fabulous basket of cheeses, meats, honeys (no honey for baby!), crackers, bread, sodas, gourmet peanut butter, chocolates and more. But mostly yummy cheese!

Wine (in moderation & appropriately timed of course) is definitely ok while nursing, altho there will always be those who disagree. And the father as well as helpers would enjoy as well. I agree a delicious selection fr: Artisan is a great idea, namely one filled w/ cheeses, crackers, etc (meats won't work since she's a pescatorian). They also have Bread Bar baguettes. And you can make it one-stop shopping since Artisan now carries wine; I haven't explored their selection yet but I suspect it's carefully chosen, given their skill w/ cheese. (There are probably places w/ better prices on wine, but if you want to p/up everything together, this would be very convenient & they would help you match cheese to your wine selection). As I recall fr: infant days, it's really nice when visitors are dropping in to see the baby to have yummy snacks such as good cheese, nuts, wine available since they're so simple to serve.

Also, assuming you're going to Artisan en route (it's very conveniently located for your travels) I would call in advance to discuss the order if you're on any kind of schedule since it can take them awhile to put this together. Their service is helpful, smart, attentive and thoughtful, but definitely not fast.

There's a Bristol Farms in Westlake and I'm sure you could find a bunch of great foodie and foodie related items there. Also, it's always nice to send a deli platter from Greenblatt's on Sunset in West Hollywood. They have great items above the norm. How about Cavier and Champagne?